That screw wasn't added until after my 2011 Sorrento was built & is unnecessary on my machine as the lever stops 3/16" above the group. So instead of the lever hitting the group on the newer machines it bangs into a screw?? I'd remove it & replace it with a soft rubber or plastic plug.

Funny you should ask. Not quite, but soon. I had to buy a new home with sufficient height for a Bosco first. Our home purchase should be complete by March 12.

Above is the kitchen of our soon to be new home which appears to have been designed with a Bosco Sorrento in mind. Only two questions remain:

Which side of the (big) sink should I locate it?

Should I buy a single or two group Sorrento?

Meanwhile, I am using and enjoying the espresso from my Izzo Alex Leva. The Pro 800 needs to go on sale soon and will be deeply discounted. I will probably keep the Leva, or I may give it to my daughter. I think the Bosco is THE ultimate espresso machine for me, however the Leva is an excellent machine. The only thing I do not like about the LSM group is the design of the cylinder and shower screen with retainer clip; this combination traps/attracts too much ground coffee and requires cleanup beyond a quick flush between shots. If it were not for this messy shower screen design, the Leva would be the best machine for me. I am hoping that the Bosco has similar thermal stability as the Leva.

def wrote:Funny you should ask. Not quite, but soon. I had to buy a new home with sufficient height for a Bosco first. Our home purchase should be complete by March 12.image

Above is the kitchen of our soon to be new home which appears to have been designed with a Bosco Sorrento in mind. Only two questions remain:

Which side of the (big) sink should I locate it?

Should I buy a single or two group Sorrento?

Meanwhile, I am using and enjoying the espresso from my Izzo Alex Leva. The Pro 800 needs to go on sale soon and will be deeply discounted. I will probably keep the Leva, or I may give it to my daughter. I think the Bosco is THE ultimate espresso machine for me, however the Leva is an excellent machine. The only thing I do not like about the LSM group is the design of the cylinder and shower screen with retainer clip; this combination traps/attracts too much ground coffee and requires cleanup beyond a quick flush between shots. If it were not for this messy shower screen design, the Leva would be the best machine for me. I am hoping that the Bosco has similar thermal stability as the Leva.

Pipeandslippers wrote:Have you perhaps done a similar test on your Alex Leva and found that it didn't creep in the same way, or were there other reasons for keeping the Alex?

Yes I have measured the Leva (La San Marco) group temperature and it idles at 175F all day long. When I pull a shot it gets up to about 180F, and then returns to 175F before I can pull the next shot. When I flush the water does not flash boil immediately on this machine. It will flash boil when I flush sufficiently long, pulling hotter water from the boiler to the group. What this means is that the water that is ready to enter the group has cooled to much lower temperature than boiler temperature and that results in a lower brew temperature than the pro 800. I keep my PID set to 250F for most coffees. I think this is about 1.1bar of pressure which provides excellent steaming power, and great shots. No heat creep, although if higher brew temperature is needed I can make a long flush just before pulling a shot.